Offensive coordinator Norm Chow of the USC Trojans watches the action on the field during the game against the Stanford Cardinal on September 25, 2004 at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California. USC defeated Stanford 31-28.

And now Chow is back on the other side of town, set to diagram plays for UCLA against Carroll?

Start the season now. Circle that UCLA-USC Dec. 6 date on the calendar. This is going to be entertaining. So much fun, you can’t help but laugh.

If Carroll really loves competition as much as believed, he must be in competitive heaven right now. Because UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel just threw the gauntlet down so hard it shook the walls of Heritage Hall.

UCLA now has as impressive a trio of top coaches as any program in the country – Neuheisel, Chow and defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker.

“I’m always a person that believes you try for the best,” Neuheisel said. “If they say no, then they say no, but I’ve always believed you try. You try to sell a vision and the concept of partnership.

“I’ve just been very fortunate that I had (two) great guys who also believe in those concepts. They’re family guys. They believe in kids. It’s going to be a special deal.”

The hiring of Chow comes via a humongous dose of luck and Neuheisel chutzpah.

In truth, Neuheisel never had any intent of going after Chow, who was making $1 million per with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. There was no shot. Neuheisel originally mentioned Chow before his last game as Ravens quarterback coach. But at his introductory news conference at UCLA, Neuheisel made it clear he simply meant he wanted someone of Chow’s caliber.

And then the Titans unexpectedly fired Chow. UCLA owes a large debt of gratitude to Titans coach Jeff Fisher. That would be USCproduct Jeff Fisher.

Neuheisel suddenly had a golden door open. He quickly stepped through. He had a pair of other factors working in his favor: Chow still has his home in Southern California and has known and respected Walker for more than 20years. That would be Walker, Carroll’s former secondary coach with the New England Patriots.

Way too much fun.

During a teleconference call Monday, Neuheisel and Chow went out of their way to paint a picture of harmony and teamwork.

No battle of wills. No control issues. No super-sized egos.

“I’ve never been one that needs power or control,” Chow said. “When you coordinate an offense, the word means a lot. You put everybody’s thoughts together. You coordinate it all. Everybody’s input is important.

“Obviously on Saturday afternoon you don’t have time for a roundtable discussion every time a call needs to be made. But that call is made after spending many hours together as a staff.

“It’s not a power struggle. Never will be, never has been.”

Neuheisel is living so right he must be nervous. His ship came in when he got his dream job at UCLA. Then another when the respected Walker agreed to stay. And then yet one more when the football gods made Chow available. Neuheisel took Walker with him when he met to sell Chow on UCLA.

“This is going to be an ego-less thing,” Neuheisel said. “The three of us are going to be partners. Partners on a start-up company that has a huge, huge upside. We’re going to share and commiserate equally and together. That’s what I sold.

“DeWayne and I went over to Norm’s house, just like you’d go over to a blue-chip recruit. And we just kind of sat there in his living room and shared the vision with his family. It was a really special time.”

Group hug, group hug.

An unmistakable coup for UCLA.

Despite USC’s continued success, even its followers are quick to point out the Trojans have not won a national championship since Chow left.

Now he gets to come home, return to college football, and as unsaid bonus, has a chance to stick it to Carroll.

Trojans offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian was a star quarterback under Chow at BYU and hired by him at USC. And he must be feeling uneasy. His every failing will just be magnified with Chow across down.

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